The research involved coal from 11 coal mines in the USCB in Poland, intended for combustion in power plants and for home furnaces. It has been stated that the content of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb and Zn in the ash of coal fines from the USCB with a density of <1.30 × 103 kg/m3 is the largest, and in the ash fraction with a density >2.00 × 103 kg/m3 is the smallest The fraction ash of coal fine with a density> 2.00 × 103 kg/m3 has the greatest impact on the content of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Pb and Zn in whole coal fines from the USCB. In turn, the largest impact on the content of Cu, Ni and Sb in whole fine coal ash has the fraction of coal fine having a density of 1.60–2.00 × 103 kg/m3 (for Cu) and fraction with a density <1.35 × 103 kg/m3 (Ni and Sb). The main carriers of elements in fine coal ash, thus in future furnace waste, are the grains of aluminosilicates and iron oxides resulting from the combustion of probably fusinite and semifusinite and the combustion of adhesions of these macerals with dolomite, ankerite and pyrite. The purification of fine coal from the matter with a density >2.00 × 103 kg/m3 may reduce the sulfur content (by 40%), the content of main element oxides (from 33% to 85%) and the content of ecotoxic elements (from 7% to 59%) in fine coal ash, i.e. in potential furnace wastes. Due to the small content of mineral matter, ash and sulfur in coal, small content of Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, Na, K, P oxides and high content of SiO2 in coal ash, low value of the Rogi sinterability index, small inclination of coal fine to slag the furnaces and boiler fouling by sludge, the investigated coal was favorable for technological reasons, fuel in power plants and for home furnaces
Trace elements contained in coal escape with flue gas from energy sources into the air or move
towards other components of the environment with by-products captured in electrofilters (EF) and flue gas
desulphurisation (FGD) plants. The existing knowledge about the distribution of frequently dangerous trace
elements contained in these products is insufficient. Studies were therefore undertaken in selected power plants
to investigate the distribution of trace elements in coal, slag, as well as dust containment and flue gas desulphurisation products, such as fly ash captured in dust collectors, desulphurisation gypsum and semi-dry scrubbing
FGD products. Using the technique of flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS) and mercury analyser,
the following were determined in the research material samples: Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. The studies
have a reconnaissance character. The authors have presented the results of determinations for selected trace
elements in samples taken at Jaworzno III and Siersza Power Plants, which burn hard coal, and in Bełchatów
Power Plant, burning brown coal. A balance of the examined trace elements in a stream of coal fed into the
boiler and in streams of waste and products carried away from the plant was prepared. The balance based on
the results of analyses from Bełchatów Power Plant was considered encouraging enough to undertake further
investigations. The research confirmed that due to the distribution in the process of coal combustion and flue
gas treatment, a dominant part of particular trace elements’ stream moves with solid waste and products, while
air emission is marginal. Attention was paid to the importance of research preparation, the manner of sample
taking and selection of analytical methods.
Trace elements Co, Cr were added to investigate their influence on the microstructure and physical properties of Al-Si extruded alloy. The Co, Cr elements were randomly distributed in the matrix, forms intermetallic phase and their existence were confirmed by XRD, EDS and SEM analysis. With addition of trace elements, the microstructure was modified, Si particle size was reduced and the growth rate of β-(Al5FeSi) phase limited. Compared to parent alloy, hardness and tensile strength were enhanced while the linear coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) was significantly reduced by 42.4% and 16.05% with Co and Cr addition respectively. It is considered that the low CTE occurs with addition of Co was due to the formation of intermetallic compound having low coefficient of thermal expansion. The results suggested that Co acts as an effective element in improving the mechanical properties of Al-Si alloy.
Knowledge of the way in which minor and trace elements occur in coal is one of the most important geochemical indicators of coal quality. The differences between the methods of binding elements in coal in each coal seam and the variability of this feature of coal in the basin profile have not been discussed so far. These coal features were identified in a group of selected coal seams (209, 401, 405, 407, 501, 504, 510, 615, 620) in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB). At the same time, the differences in the role of identified mineral and maceral groups in concentrating specific elements in coal is highlighted. Identical or similar tendencies of changes in the way in which As and V, Ba and Rb, Co and Pb, Co and Zn, Mn and Pb, Pb and Zn, Co and Rb, and for Cr and Cu occur in the coal seams in the USCB profile was found. Changes in the mode of occurrence of As and Pb in coal in the USCB profile were probably influenced by carbonate mineralization. The changes in the mode of occurrence of Mni and Pb in the coal were probably determined by dia and epigenetic sulfide mineralization, while the content of Ba, Cr, Rb, Sr, and V in coal from these deposits was affected by clay minerals. It was observed that the greater the degree of the carbonization of the organic matter of coal, the lower the content of As, Mn and Pb in coal and the higher the content of Ba and Sr in coal.
The geochemistry of sedimentary rocks is increasingly being used in palaeoenvironmental studies, in the identification of marine versus continental stratigraphy and in chemostratigraphic correlation. The selection of an appropriate research methodology, particularly in terms of sample digestion, can have a significant impact on the accuracy of the results obtained. Depending on the type of rock being studied and the aim of the analysis, a suitable mixture of acids should be used. The most commonly used sample digestion methods are based on a mixture of four acids (multi-acid), aqua regia and inverse aqua regia. As opposed to multi-acid whole-rock digestion, the use of aqua regia and inverse aqua regia result in only the partial digestion of sedimentary rocks. Geochemical analyses using these two different methods were carried out on Carboniferous sedimentary rocks from the Lublin Coal Basin from Poland.The elemental concentrations obtained showed essentially different results for some of the elements. A comparison of the elemental concentrations allowed the distinction of three groups of elements:
- those that showed small differences between the results from the preparation methods (Co, Mn, Bi, Cu, Zn and Fe),
- those where the elemental concentrations were 20–50% lower using aqua regia digestion (i.e. Ni, P, Pb, Mg, Cd, Th, Mo, Sr),
- elemental concentrations that were significantly lower (by up to 80%) following aqua regia digestion (U, Cr, Ba, Na, V, Al, Rb, K, Zr).
Dependences Between Certain Petrographic, Geochemical and Technological Indicators of Coal Quality in the Limnic Series of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Uscb), Poland
This article aims to assess the values of the most often measured petrographic, geochemical and technological indicators of coal quality and to identify probable dependences between them in the USCB coal. The following can also be observed: high content of Cd and Co in carbonate minerals separated from coal, in clay minerals – Cr and Zn, and in sulfide minerals – Cu, Ni and Pb. Nevertheless, it is organic matter which has the greatest influence on the average content of trace elements in coal. Correlations between the values of some of the indicators of coal quality were also observed. It has been observed that the increase in vitrinite content in coal is accompanied by a decrease in, while an increase in the content of liptinite and inertinite in coal is accompanied by an increase in the content of CaO, MgO, and SO3 in coal ash. An increase in the carbonization of organic matter is accompanied by an increase in the content of Cu and Ni in coal, and a decrease in the content of Pb and S in coal and the content of Fe2O3 in coal ash.
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